Shadows
by TurtleLover4
Summary: In this four-part short story, a young girl learns a valuable lesson about life and loyalty, and one of the turtles learns to let go of some of his apprehension and learn to trust.
1. Chapter One

"Shadows" - by Dawnatello

**Shadows** **_by Dawnatello_**

  


  
It was dark. A dim ghostly light flooded the chamber, a byproduct of the bright wicks of lit torches that hung strategically along the walls in brass holders. Her hands were clammy, her heart in her throat as she felt their strong hands grip her biceps--one on each side, their fingers digging tightly into her flesh. She didn't dare protest. She didn't dare say a _word_. Swallowing, she tried to fight down the terror that was threatening to drive her insane. She had put on her most convincing mask of calm. She couldn't let them see the intensity of the fear that brewed inside of her. 

She glanced upward to the platform where she had stood only months ago with the rest of her clan, gazing down at the one who had betrayed their trust. She remembered what had been done to him, and she visibly shuddered. Now, she was standing in his place with thousands of faces staring grimly down upon her. 

She felt him enter before she even saw him. It was as if he carried with him a deep sense of doom and utter hopelessness that was able to seek out anyone he so wished to attack. Her heart began to race as that feeling closed in around her. 

He'd remained silent until he'd chosen to be heard and seen. And then, he approached slowly, each step upon the cold concrete echoing loudly throughout the chamber. 

She felt her two guards loosen their grip on her and slip back into the shadows, leaving her alone and vulnerable. She forced herself to gaze into his face as he approached, not willing to submit to her fear even now. He stopped just inches from her, the last traces of echoing footsteps fading away into nothing. The large room was suddenly very silent. No one dared to make a sound as they watched in fascination. 

"_You_..." His voice was cold and full of malice. "...are a _disgrace_!" 

She closed her eyes, fighting back tears of fear and anger, but quickly opened them, not wishing to be caught off guard. 

As she looked into his eyes, she could see how very angry he was. There was no way she would live through this. He was going to kill her. 

"Please, Master, I beg--" 

"Silence!" The deep baritone of his voice lingered in the air for several moments. 

Her body stiffened. She felt herself begin to tremble as he reached a gauntleted hand toward her. She sucked in a breath, waiting for the fatal slash, but it never came. Instead, without warning, he grabbed the corner of the patch that bore her clan's symbol and ripped it mercilessly from her gi. 

An audible gasp was heard from the onlookers, and she felt the warmth on her cheeks that told her the tears she'd tried so hard to conceal had finally escaped. She was humiliated. It was the worst slap in the face she could have received, and it hurt deeply. 

"You have failed me." He spoke again at last. "Because of your actions, our enemies still live. It is because of _you_ that three of your comrades--people you sparred with and learned from--are dead. What do you have to say for yourself?" 

She bowed her head, the tears continuing to heat up her cheeks. "I...I 'm sorry, Master." 

"_Sorry_!? You're _sorry_? Do you think that justifies your actions? Do you think that even _begins_ to make amends for the lives you took last night?" 

But _she_ hadn't been the one to kill those ninjas... 

"I'm sorry, Master, I--" 

"Silence!" 

Again, the room grew deathly still, and she waited with bated breath as his voice echoed and faded into obscurity. 

He brought his face closer to hers, that piercing glare of hatred penetrating deep into her soul. How she wanted to close her eyes--to rid herself of that hateful gaze, but she knew that to turn her eyes from her master would be instant death. 

"There is no question about your involvement in this ordeal. There is no debate about your failure." He glanced up and around at all of the expectant faces. "The question is...how to punish your actions." 

She held her breath as the room suddenly ignited with anxious whispers and nervous gestures. She was sure he was going to take her life, and she found herself wishing he would end this torture and just get on with it already. 

"Perhaps..." he said finally, the crowd hushing at his sudden revelation. "...you wish to be exiled." He drew in closer to her, so their noses were almost touching, or would have been had he not been wearing the shiny metal faceplate. "Is that what you wish?" 

She knew the consequences of abandoning the clan. She understood now what would happen to her if she tried to leave. 

"No, Master." 

"Perhaps you think this is just a game. I don't appreciate being thought of as your pawn, girl." 

"No..." she shook her head. "I would never think of you that way, Master. You are the reason I'm here. I wish to learn from you--to learn from my stupid mistakes and better myself. I ask you to give me another chance. I won't fail you again." 

His eyes squinted up into little slits as he studied her for several long moments. She could only begin to imagine what was going through his head. 

"You will give up your current lifestyle to serve me completely?" 

She nodded, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. "Yes," she whispered. 

His fist came toward her quickly, and she gasped in fear, but didn't dare move. His hand opened as it grew near and she could see he was holding the patch he'd ripped from her garment. His palm slapped forcefully against her chest, sending waves of pain through her ribs and nearly knocking the wind out of her. 

"Stitch this back on. And if you wish to grow old, you'll do as I say next time. You will _not_ fail me again." 

******

"Shit..." She threw the drawer across the room and pulled out another from the dresser. Rummaging through its contents quickly, she grabbed several pairs of underwear and socks and threw them into an open suitcase. She pulled out the next drawer, searching it nervously. 

She was afraid, more so than she had ever been in her entire life. She knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be dead. And now, she was forced to endure the pain of loosing her friends as well. What had she gotten herself into? How could she have allowed herself to be so utterly stupid? She knew what she had to do now. She had to run. It was her only choice. She couldn't risk putting the lives of her friends and family in jeopardy. They were too important. 

She continued to search frantically, until finally, she found the object of her desire--a silver locket her father had given her on her sixteenth birthday. He told her it had been her mother's, and now that she was coming of age, he wanted her to have it. It was the most valuable thing she had ever owned--not because of its significant market value, but because it had belonged to the one person she was sure could have straightened out her crazy life. And inside was her picture--the only photograph she had ever seen of her. She stared at it, studying the face sorrowfully. She had her mother's eyes. 

Quickly, she closed the locket and stuffed it into her pocket. She knew her father would be ready to kill her if he found out what she had done, but she decided it was his fault. He'd driven her to this. As she was growing up, she'd wanted to be just like him. She was searching desperately for a purpose in life, something to set her apart and make her special. 

But her father had denied her that. He wouldn't allow her to follow in his footsteps. He insisted that it was too dangerous and that his lifestyle was no kind of way for a lady to live. He told her she was better than that. She'd decided he was just jealous and worried that she might actually be more successful at it than him. 

Her friends were no better. Although they knew all there was to know about defending oneself, they'd only taught her the bare basics, explaining that they didn't want to impose the hard life they'd been forced to endure upon her. She though it was _her_ choice how she would live her life, what path she would choose to take, but apparently the others didn't see it that way. 

She'd begun to despise her friends' selfishness, her father for intruding in her life. She'd decided to branch out on her own--to seek out a place where she would be accepted and welcome, able to do as she pleased. But that little act of defiance had led to more heartbreak than she could have ever imagined. Where would she be now if her mother were still around? 

She definitely wouldn't have been up on that rooftop watching a katana impale the people she cared about. Of that, she was certain. 

  
_The moon was full and bright, allowing for optimal visibility under a smog-filled, starless sky. Mustering all of her courage, she led them to the next rooftop, jumping swiftly when she neared the edge, and barely managing to clear the next. Her eyes scanned the darkness. He was there. She spotted him hurrying through the alleyway below, trying to make his way swiftly back home, unnoticed. _

She closed her eyes, willing herself to do this. She knew she was dead if she didn't. Her master had told her so himself. After what had happened last night, she understood the importance of her success in this mission. Her master had assigned this squadron to her. It was **her** operation. And it was her last chance to prove her loyalty. 

She gave the sign with her hand, motioning her comrades to attack. She knew her friend was good. She could only hope that he was good enough to defend himself against fifty foes at once. 

She watched in nervous anticipation as the group began to branch out silently and surround him. His guard went up instantly. He could hear them approaching. She smiled, content in the knowledge that he was a skilled fighter. 

He began his defense maneuvers immediately, knocking two ninjas to the ground, probably without even breaking a sweat. It was fascinating watching him work. As a kid, she had never been allowed to get this close to an actual full-fledged fight. She'd never been allowed to witness the intensity and the bloodshed. Now, she couldn't take her eyes from the scene. 

Without warning, three more shadows appeared from behind the first, ready to help him defend himself against the onslaught of martial artist attackers. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of them. She knew who they were. She was very glad to see they'd come to the other's rescue, but a growing sense of dread began to fill her as well. What if they were injured or captured? Would she ever be able to forgive herself if they were defeated? 

She should have warned them. She could have at least given them some kind of sign...but, no. She couldn't let them know who she was. Just luring them here had been the ultimate betrayal. They could never find out. And if she helped them now, she knew she would be dead by morning. She was helpless--completely and utterly useless and alone. 

Still...there was hope... 

The ninjas had them surrounded on all sides. She watched in amazement as one of the four took on three of them at once, slicing one of the heads clean from the body. She squinted into the darkness, trying to discern the facial features on the severed head where the mask had been torn away. She wanted to confirm whether it was someone she knew personally, but it was too dark and too far away. The one with the nunchucks swung them wildly, shattering bone and sending his opponents to the concrete. He took a hit to the stomach, but recovered quickly, returning the favor to his attacker with a powerful sidekick. 

She had to smile to herself then. They were good...**very** good. They were going to make it. They were going to win! Soon, everything would be as it should. But then... 

In one, earth-shattering moment, all of her hope and joy vanished, to be replaced with only despair. A silent scream of purest agony escaped her lips as she witnessed the katana slice right through one of her friends. 

She watched in horror, unable to tear her eyes away from the grueling sight as the life force was drained from him and onto the pavement below. His legs gave way, and he hit the ground hard, two of the others abandoning the fight to rush to his aide. The tears began to fall uncontrollably. 

If she thought there was commotion down there before, it was nothing compared to the events that took place immediately after he fell. The remaining ninjas, making note of the current vulnerability of their enemies at the loss of one of their comrades, attempted an attack. However, the last of them--the one who'd remained on guard, broke into a frenzied rampage, impaling everyone who dared come near with the long prong of his deadly sai. 

She heard one of them yell amongst the commotion, the answering shout of the one holding their enemies at bay. 

"Get Leo outta here! Go! I'll hold these guys off!" 

"But Raph, there are too many of them," one of them protested. "What if you--" 

"I said go! Hurry! Don't you dare let him die!" 

Knowing they really didn't have much choice, she watched as the two of them hoisted the bloodied body and carried it swiftly away. 

One of her ninja approached, asked her if they shouldn't stop them. She shook her head no, insisted that that one was gone already, and this made it much easier to subdue the last. She only hoped he would prove her wrong. 

But as she looked on in morbid fascination, as she witnessed the great strength and skill with which he fought, she realized that even with all of his stamina and all of his power, he was quickly tiring. The large group of ninja was too much for him. He fought until the end, never daring to give up, until finally, he was simply outnumbered. She turned her head away quickly as she heard a gut-wrenching snap and saw him fall lifeless to the concrete. 

  
Tears burned on her cheeks now as she held up her gear. She stared solemnly at the red symbol of the Foot clan that had been roughly sewn back onto her gi the previous night. Her fingers curled around the fabric, her body trembling as she realized how entirely stupid she'd been. How could she have allowed them to hurt the friends she held so dear? 

Tears streaming down her cheeks and blurring her vision, she reached for her lighter and held it up to the material, watching silently as it ignited in flame. The fabric burned remarkably well. She would have thought these outfits would have had better craftsmanship, perhaps been more flame retardant, but then she realized that her master didn't care about their quality. According to his assessment, each of their lives was expendable. He cared nothing about her or the others. They were only his pawns sent to do his dirty work. She realized that now. Too bad she couldn't have seen it sooner. 

A sense of satisfaction filled her as she watched the red Foot symbol begin to wither under the heat of the fire. She wanted to burn it entirely, to watch this entire aspect of her life go up in flames and turn to ash, just as she knew the fallen bodies of those she cared about would crumble to dust over time. It was the biggest mistake she'd ever made in her entire life. No wonder her father still refused to see her as an adult. She'd proven again and again that she was nothing but a spoiled child--a child who never stopped to think about the consequences of her actions--who, because of her carelessness had gotten the ones who meant the most to her killed. 

"Shadow?" 

Startled, she turned to gaze into the face of the woman that had been a mother to her for as long as she could remember. There was fear in the woman's eyes as she glanced from the open suitcase to the burning garment in the girl's hands. She could make out the warped image of the Foot symbol as it twisted and curled in the heat of the fire, and she gasped. She knew Shadow had been having difficulties relating lately, but never in her wildest dreams had she ever considered the possibility that someday she might find the gear of the Turtles' blood enemies in her step-daughter's hands. 

******

_"We have one of the freaks subdued."_ The voice poured from the speaker of the communicator, breaking the deadly silence in the room. _"The others got away, but that other turtle is as good as dead."_

"And you witnessed this with your own eyes...?" 

_"Yes...I killed it myself."_

The Shredder smiled sinisterly. He was definitely pleased. This night had gone much better than the last, much better than he'd anticipated in fact. 

"And what of the girl?" 

There was a pause. 

_"She stood her ground during the battle, leading us as you instructed, Master. And then...she just...vanished."_

He frowned at the communicator, wondering how an entire group of ninjas could let her slip so easily from their company unawares. But he would have to address that later. There were more urgent matters at hand. 

"Secure the mutant," he instructed. "Make sure it is dead." 

_"Yes, Master."_

There was a pause as the man apparently checked on the fallen turtle's status. 

_"It isn't breathing,"_ the voice announced at last. _"Would you like us to bring the body in for observation, Master?"_

"No...I have a better idea." He grinned evilly behind the metal mask. "Slice off its head. We're going to send the other freaks a little present. Perhaps they will learn their lesson from this little calling card." 

_"Yes, Master...and the girl?"_

He thought about that for a moment. Clearly, she had done well tonight. Still, she had run off, abandoning her clan like a coward. Perhaps the pressure had been too much for her. He knew who she was. He had Foot spies all over the city. This exercise had been an ultimate test of her loyalty to the clan. Too bad she had rushed off so quickly. She could have been a very valuable asset to their organization. Now, she could only be seen as a threat. 

He grinned as he brought the communicator back up to his face. It seemed this night had proven more profitable than he could have ever hoped. Not only would the turtles' power be diminished by two, but now they would be forced into mourning over the girl as well. 

"Find her and kill her," he commanded. 

  


  


  



	2. Chapter Two

"Shadows" by Dawnatello

**Shadows** **_Part Two_**

  


  
Sweaty hands carried him quickly through the underground tunnels. The sound of their heavy breathing echoed off the walls, their footsteps splashing loudly through murky water. 

"You okay, Mike?" Don glanced at him in concern. He'd taken a pretty hard hit to the abdomen, and with the added burden of their brother's weight, he seemed to be having difficulty catching his breath. 

Michaelangelo nodded and paused to shift the weight of the turtle's leaden limbs in his arms. "I'm fine. Let's just get Leo home." 

"Please..." Leo protested weakly. "Leave me here. Go back..." 

Don and Mike exchanged looks. 

"No." Donatello said firmly. "You're wounded, Leo. You need help." 

"But..._Raph_..." 

"I know," the worry showed clearly on Mike's face. "I know, Leo. We're worried about him too. But it won't do us any good to lose _two_ of you." 

"Should have stayed..." Leo wheezed. "...helped him..." 

"We'll go back to look for him as soon as we know you're okay." Don said matter-of-factly. 

"Could be...too late..." 

Mike closed his eyes. He didn't need reminding about the urgency of the situation. They'd left Raphael alone with a mob of very aggressive ninjas. It was one of the hardest decisions he'd been forced to make, but he knew if they didn't get Leonardo out of there, he would most likely die from blood loss. 

Donatello had been reluctant too, but Raphael was so persistent. Forty-five minutes had passed since they had last heard from him. It wasn't unlike Raphael to stay out late or even all night, but under the current circumstances, he was sure he would have at least contacted them to assure them he was okay. 

"My sons...what has happened?" Splinter came rushing toward them as soon as they entered the lair, a look of deep concern etched into his features. He immediately went into father mode, attending to Leonardo's wounds. They laid him down carefully on the sofa, puddles of his crimson blood instantly soaking into the cushions. 

"The Foot..." Mike said, a little reluctantly. "They attacked us." 

"The Foot!?" Splinter was clearly shocked. They hadn't had an encounter with them for several years. They had made a pact with their enemies long ago, and although it hadn't been an entirely peaceful one, both sides had agreed that it was time to end the needless bloodshed. For once, it had seemed their bloody war had come to an end. But now, with Michaelangelo's news, Splinter knew the war was far from over. The Foot had only been biding their time. He had underestimated their evil intentions. He was sure that mistake would prove costly. 

"Yes, Master Splinter." Don said sorrowfully. "We were just minding our own business, and they came out of nowhere. Their fighting style...it was more precise than I've ever seen it. Their skills were well honed and much more defined. It almost seemed as if they'd been training precisely for that moment--like they'd been watching us for a while, studying our fighting style and weaknesses from afar." 

A shudder went through Splinter at the idea that they had been so closely scrutinized by enemy eyes unawares. He should have been able to sense it somehow. They should have been more cautious. 

"Did they follow?" 

"No." Mike said quickly. "I don't think so." 

"Where is Raphael?" 

The two exchanged nervous glances. "He stayed behind...he said he'd hold them off so we could get Leo home." 

Splinter did not like that idea one bit, but he knew he would have done the same in Raphael's place. "I see..." 

"I...I tried to get them...go back, Master..." 

"Silence, Leonardo. Save your strength." 

He pulled loose the belt strap that wrapped around the turtle's shoulder and connected at the waist, discarding it on the floor. As Michaelangelo dug through their medical supplies, he examined the wound carefully. It appeared as though Leonardo had lost a lot of blood. A transfusion was in order. The katana had sunk in deeply, all the way through to the carapace. In fact, the hard bony shell was the only thing that prevented the blade from slicing clean through the other side. 

Leonardo's breathing was ragged, his face twisted up in pain. Splinter could tell it was an effort for the turtle not to cry out every time his lungs filled with air. Luckily for him, the blade had missed his heart by inches, sinking instead into the soft, fleshy area between the top of his shoulder and his armpit. 

Gently, he applied pressure to the area around the wound, taking note of Leonardo's reactions to each touch. Clearly, the entire area was very tender, but from his assessment, it appeared that no vital organs had been hit, and most of his muscle structure was still in tact. This was a very good sign indeed. He knew it would be a grueling recovery period for Leonardo, but he was hopeful that he wouldn't lose any flexibility in his arm. 

"Be still," he instructed softly as he took the wet rag from Michaelangelo and began to gently clean the wound. 

Leonardo inhaled sharply, squinting his eyes shut tightly against the pain. 

"It will be over soon, my son," the rat soothed. 

  


  
A few stitches, some bandaging and much pampering later, Leonardo lay in bed studying the dirt streaks on the ceiling. His brothers and Splinter had been bending over backwards to grant his every wish and make him as comfortable as possible. They'd propped him up with their best pillows. Michaelangelo had made him soup, and Splinter had offered to read to him for a while. Donatello spent some time chatting with him, but Leonardo had eventually grown bored with all of his technical rambling, and had feigned sleep in order to get a little time to himself. 

Although he had to admit to himself that the attention was nice, he wasn't used to them fussing over him like this. Clearly the wound was bad, but he would survive. They needed to be out _there_, searching for Raphael, not cooped up underground. He was bored, restless, and very worried for his brother. He wanted so badly to go out and scour the streets for him, to make sure he was okay, but it just wasn't possible in his condition. He was too weak and sore to move. He had lost a lot of blood--so much in fact, that if they had delayed in getting him home much longer, he probably would have bled to death. 

Not that he would have minded much at this point. He felt about as worthless laying here. He couldn't help but wonder how much blood _Raphael_ had lost--what state he was in now. He could feel himself slowly going mad as he lay there daydreaming about all of the possible fates Raphael might have suffered. He had to _do_ something! 

Mike and Don had promised him that they would go out and search for him as soon as they were able. He could see a fear of the unknown in their eyes and realized that Raphael had been left in much more danger than they were willing to admit. Still, although they all shared a nagging sense of urgency, it would be a while longer before they would be able to venture out above the streets to hunt him down. Donatello had donated a lot of blood to Leonardo. It would be a couple hours before his strength would be up to full capacity, and Splinter had insisted that all of his resources be up to par before he dared to put himself in harm's way. As minutes turned into hours, their worry grew and festered. It was a waiting game now. And waiting was the hardest part. 

He wondered what his brothers would encounter. Maybe they would find him somewhere close by, exhausted but well, and everything would be okay. Perhaps they would return before he knew it, and he'd be reunited with Raphael in a matter of moments. And perhaps...well...he didn't want to think about the alternative. 

To say that Raphael had always been a major thorn in Leonardo's side was an understatement. He was hard to get along with, moody, and had the stubborn attitude that he was the master of his own life and answered to no one. Leo knew he despised him for his leadership role, but he also knew that despite all of the pain he'd caused him in the past, Raphael really did care for him. He'd stayed behind, willing to risk his own life for _him_. If that wasn't the ultimate sacrifice, he didn't know what was. Even though at times he hated to admit it, Raphael had always been a very important member of their group. He didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to him. 

******

Raphael had always considered himself someone not to be trifled with. He was a skilled warrior, the kind of person who never let his guard down--_ever_. He was always ready for anything. Tonight though, he hadn't been so lucky. 

A girl hurried across the dimly lit parking lot, her few belongings gripped tightly in her arms. She'd gotten to work late this evening, and now she was mentally cursing herself for not refusing to stay and help her cousin finishing moving. If she'd gotten here an hour ago as planned, she would have been safely tucked inside the building, never the wiser to the horrors that were taking place nearby. But such was her luck. She was out in the open, alone and vulnerable. And what she witnessed caused her heart to jump into her throat. She swallowed nervously, pressing her back against the brick wall to observe from the shadows. 

A couple of men were walking in her direction, slowly, deliberately. Yet, they were not coming for her. As far as she could tell, they weren't even aware of her presence. It seemed they had a specific purpose, and she saw it now, as they cautiously approached a lump of clothing on the asphalt. 

These men were ninjas from what she could tell. They wore mostly black, and the fabric was tight, fitting snuggly over their bodies and faces. They moved lightly toward their target, the embodiment of stealth and caution. She watched them warily, straining to hear what they were saying. 

"So what are our orders?" The voice was deep and somewhat muffled behind the fabric. 

"The Master said we're to take the head." 

The first one paused and looked into the face of his comrade. "The _head_? What for?" 

"We're going to send it to the others. It's a calling card of sorts." 

"Ahh..." he nodded his head now, seeming to understand. 

She felt sick suddenly. Taking the head? So there was a person under that pile of clothing? She couldn't bear the thought of chopping off a human head and shipping it to someone in a box. Nausea built up inside of her as she saw them approach and kneel down next to the fallen person on the pavement. She figured it must be male, judging from its size. She wished she could know for sure. She didn't want to watch this vile act, but some morbid fascination kept her eyes glued to the scene. It was when the lump moaned that she realized this person was still living. 

"Oh god..." she whispered into the darkness. 

The men paused, staring at one another for a long moment. It seemed they were as surprised that their captive was alive as she was. 

"Well...orders are orders..." She saw one of them shrug. 

She watched in terror as one of the men slid a long, shiny sword out from its resting place at his hip. She saw the flash of the nearby streetlights as they glinted off the fine steel. What had this man done to deserve such a fate? Was he a criminal? Maybe he'd killed a friend of theirs and they were seeking revenge. Whatever it was, she decided that what these men were about to do was wrong. If this man _had_ done something to deserve punishment, it should be up to the police to decide his fate. And what if he was innocent? These ninja looked anything but friendly. Maybe he was a victim--someone who happened to show up at the wrong place at the wrong time...as had been _her_ fate tonight. She had to do something. She had to help this fallen man, whoever he was. Yet, her feet were frozen in place, and she found she couldn't move. 

She stifled her urge to rush out to them as she watched the other man grab the unconscious person by the collar and hold him up so his head lolled to the side at just the right angle for the blade to cleanly slice his throat. She bit her lip, wishing that she were only brave enough to stop these men from what they were about to do. But she found herself staring at their garments again. If she was right, and they really were ninja, she knew she had no chance against them. She had only taken about nine months total of karate, several years ago. There would be no way she could defend herself against a skilled opponent. 

The man holding the sword stood to his feet, raising the weapon high. He was about to make the fatal blow. It was now or never. 

As the sword came down, she found her legs again. They carried her swiftly toward the strange men, before she could even stop to think rationally about what she was doing. Gaining a new sense of bravery she didn't otherwise know she possessed, she began her attack, swinging her bag wildly, and connecting with the sword bearer's head. 

The weapon slipped from the man's hands and landed on the concrete with a loud clank. Stunned, the man lurched forward and fell to his knees, breathing shallowly and cursing. In seconds, the other man was to his feet, his hands balled into fists. He delivered a kick to her stomach, and she reeled in pain. 

She nearly fell as she gasped desperately, trying to fill her empty lungs with air. Agony seared through her abdomen and up through her chest. She squinted her eyes against the sensation, but opened them quickly, not willing to take her eyes off of her attacker for too long. 

_What the hell am I doing? These guys are gonna kill me!_

It seemed for the moment, the two strangers had forgotten their intended target and decided she was the immediate threat. Perhaps they thought she was in cahoots with the unconscious man, or maybe that she'd seen too much. In any case, she really didn't know _what_ was going on, except that she'd done something _really_ stupid and was about to pay for it now. 

The man advanced on her, much quicker than she would have ever expected. A fist came toward her face suddenly, and as if on instinct, she raised an arm to block it. Pain flashed down her arm as bone hit bone, but she ignored it. The adrenaline was pumping too quickly through her system to notice. 

A kick flew in her direction, another punch--both blocked awkwardly, but the brunt of their power redirected nonetheless. She'd sparred a few times in class, but never been in an actual fight before. Now she was starting to understand why she avoided such things like the plague. Sparring had never been her strong suit. She simply wasn't aggressive enough. She wanted to scream, but found she had no voice. She knew her co-workers wouldn't hear her cries anyway. The building was too secure, the walls too thick. She had the fleeting thought that she should run, but she knew that would be suicide. These men would have caught up to her in a matter of seconds. She was forced to hold her ground. 

She watched cautiously as the man she'd knocked down rose carefully to his feet. From his stance, she could tell he was very angry. He motioned to the other with his hands, and before she knew it, they were stalking her again, moving much more swiftly than before. 

She backed away as quickly as her shaking legs would allow, and felt her back hit solid brick. She was out of options. The man who'd been holding the sword now had a knife gripped tightly in his hand, and although she couldn't see his mouth, his eyes told her he was grinning evilly. 

She ducked to the side as the knife slashed, shielding her face with her hands. The sting of the blade sliced open the skin on her knuckles, but she couldn't worry about that now. As the knife made its way back toward her, she sidestepped, blocking the arm with both of hers, one at the wrist, the other hitting the pressure point right behind his elbow. Instinctively, the hand opened, and the weapon fell to the asphalt. A hammer strike to the temple, and a kick to the groin later, her attacker was down for the count. It seemed he'd underestimated her, something that is very dangerous to do when a person is forced into an intense situation. 

"Oh my god..." she breathed, hardly able to believe her luck. "I did it...I kicked that guy's ass!" 

She wouldn't be as lucky with the second ninja, however. He'd witnessed the extent of her fighting abilities and now had a clear idea of her weaknesses. Her skills were nowhere near the caliber of his, and they both knew it. He approached her slowly, hoping to invoke fear into her before taking her down. 

She stood there helplessly, watching him approach, the sword now pointed at her throat. She swallowed, searching the man's eyes for any sign of mercy, and found none. She knew his intent was to kill her. 

He strode forward purposefully, his movements cat-like and precise. He held the sword in front of him, the murderous gleam in his eyes seeming to reflect the sheen of the blade. She held her breath, her heart thumping mercilessly in her chest. There was nowhere to go. She was trapped. She found herself whispering a silent prayer as the man came in closer. He tilted the blade, pointing it toward her abdomen. She didn't dare to move a muscle. Her eyes were fixed on the sword, watching in terror as the man's fingers clenched tightly around the hilt. 

Suddenly, he rushed forward, a yell escaping his lips and piercing the deadly silence of the night. She closed her eyes, cringing, waiting for the pain. He was right on top of her now, she could feel it. She squinted her eyes shut tighter, braced herself...and then... 

Another sound--a feral growl pierced the night. She heard a thud and opened her eyes. They widened as she watched what she could only guess had been the unconscious lump these ninjas almost beheaded attack the man from behind. He doubled over, obviously hit hard to the back of the head. He nearly dropped the sword, and a hand reached around him to take hold of the weapon. He tightened his grip though, before the smaller man could snatch it from him. 

It was a heated tug-of-war as the two men wrestled over the sword. In her mind, she knew that whichever of the men gained the upper hand would be the only one left standing at the end. She secretly hoped it would be the mysterious stranger she'd tried to save. 

Something else was also brewing in the back of her mind--a fear so deep and penetrating, it held her frozen in place. She knew she should run while she had the chance, but she simply couldn't. 

Finally, the smaller of the two men gained control of the sword. Slowly, the blade turned, pointing toward the taller man's solar plexus. Even through the mask, she thought she could see his face straining against his opponent's surprising strength, trying desperately to redirect the blade away. 

But the smaller man was determined. With a powerful kick to the back of the knee, the ninja's leg gave out and he sank to his knees on the pavement. The blade sunk in with a sickening lurch. The ninja reached out a hand, grabbing toward her with outstretched fingers, as if asking her for help. She couldn't help but feel pity toward this man, even though he had tried to end her life. As he fell forward lifeless, she turned her head and looked away. 

When she dared to return her sight to the scene, all was not as it should be. Her savior was on his hands and knees, his breathing ragged and harsh. She stared at him in silence, attempting to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She took a tentative step toward him and he lifted his head, the flickering light from a nearby lamppost highlighting the eyes and cheekbones, and leaving the other half bathed in shadow. 

He looked...odd, like no man she'd ever seen before. She couldn't help but wonder briefly if he'd been disfigured in a fire or some kind of chemical accident. Or maybe he was born with an illness that left him deformed. Even in the dim light, she could see that his face was much too wide, the skin a clammy color, almost gray under the orangey glow. His eyes were large, expressive, and they held a terrifying look of malice and anger. 

She held her breath as she watched him. After a few moments, he lowered his head, his arms shaking badly, unable to hold his weight any longer. Carefully, she took another couple of steps in his direction. His head shot up, eyes penetrating into her. 

"It's okay..." she said quietly. "I want to help you..." 

The man bared his teeth, and that's when she realized he wasn't a man at all, but some sort of creature--a monster. Its teeth spanned almost the entire width of its wide face, foam and saliva dripping from the large mouth. Her heart began to pound again, but faster and harder than ever before, and she took a step back as a threatening growl escaped from its lungs and echoed across the parking lot. 

So _that_ was why those ninjas wanted to see this creature dead. It was clearly dangerous. It had probably killed a lot of people. And she'd interfered! 

The creature let out one more growl of warning. Then its eyes closed and its arms gave way, sending it crashing down to the asphalt. She stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily, staring at the peculiar being. She saw the blood that stained the coat and crusted the side of its face. Clearly, it was hurt, and pretty badly by the looks of it. 

_But those men were going to kill me and it saved my life..._, she told herself. _Maybe it was just scared..._

******

"It's been _three_ hours." Michaelangelo paced the small living area, glancing at the dilapidated clock that hung from the wall. 

"Yeah..." Don nodded solemnly. "This is really starting to worry me. He's probably in trouble." 

"I do not like this either, my sons. But you must be careful." Splinter poured himself a cup of tea and sat down in his favorite chair. "Our enemies have the advantage now. They know our weaknesses. They possess our strengths." 

"Which is why we have to get Raphael out of there." 

"If it's not...too late..." 

Splinter closed his eyes. Donatello's words tore into him. It always pained him to consider possibilities such as these, but he knew their lives were in danger every time they stepped foot out of the lair. It was a constant worry for him that one of them might never return home. Raphael might be lying dead in an alley somewhere by now. He could have been captured. He tried not to allow the thousands of possibilities to play in his mind. It would do him no good to get overly emotional. He needed to keep his head clear and think strategically. 

This was the hardest part about being a sensei. He'd raised them to be warriors. He'd taught them the lessons of honor and betrayal. It was because of _him_ that the turtles ever began their lives of vengeance, and it was because of him that his sons were in danger now. 

******

When she'd gotten the call, she'd been devastated. She hadn't known what to say to them. How could she tell them that the girl they'd helped to raise, almost like a daughter, had turned against them? And with the news of Raphael's disappearance, her heart had truly begun to break. She could see in the girl's eyes that she knew something about his whereabouts, but Shadow refused to speak of it. 

April decided that, painful as it was, she had to call a meeting. The turtles deserved some answers. It was the only fair and decent thing to do. 

"I hate you!" Shadow's rage intensified as she caught sight of the turtle's disdained expressions. 

April closed her eyes and swallowed. Shadow's words were more brutal than any physical slap. The girl had begged her not to tell Casey and the turtles, but it had been a necessary evil. One of their own was in danger. They had to know the truth. Besides, they'd done so much for her and her family. They'd always been there to protect them. They were like family to her themselves. Shadows actions made her feel like a traitor, even though she had done them no wrong herself. 

Casey sat in silence, his face a mask of hurt and disbelief. How could his daughter--the one he'd raised with the same morals and principals he'd always held close to his heart, become something so vile? It went against everything he had taught her over the years. It belittled all of the lessons Splinter and the turtles had tried to teach her. This was not the woman his daughter was destined to become. She was better than this. She was supposed to uphold the law, stand up for what was right. But instead, she'd become the very thing that Casey despised. He could hardly look at her now. 

Shadow glanced from green face to green face. It was torture to see the intense surprise and deepest hurt in their eyes. Leonardo's face appeared calm at first, unemotional. But a closer look revealed the tightness in his jaw, the way the corner of his mouth twitched whenever he looked at her. Despite his obvious weakened state, his eyes were intense, as if his vision was centered on something deep within the recesses of his mind. His skin was pale and clammy, and she came to the conclusion that it wasn't just a result of the injuries he'd sustained. For a brief moment, her eyes fell to the soiled bandage at his left shoulder and the sling that cradled the injured arm. Even covered by the gauze, she could tell how serious the wound was. She had thought she'd lost him to that blade. She was very grateful she'd been proven wrong. Still..._she_ had done that to him. It had been _her_ command that initiated the attack. It was all her fault. She swallowed and looked away, unable to bear the idea of what she'd done any longer. 

Donatello was very quiet and sullen. He kept his eyes closed much of the time, only daring to open them for a sneak peek at the girl he'd loved and trusted who had now betrayed them. His eyes were contemplative, searching, as if he was desperately trying to find some way to rationalize Shadow's actions. A few minor cuts and bruises decorated his shoulders and forearms, but he'd manage to escape relatively unscathed. A small bandage was wrapped tightly around his arm, covering the soft skin where it bent at the elbow. He looked tired and physically drained, and there was an intense look of uncertainty in his features. She had never seen him so vulnerable before. 

It was when she dared to look at Michaelangelo that her heart truly broke. His eyes met hers slowly, and in them, she could see nothing but sorrow and grief, reflecting her own emotions. His breathing was ragged, as if it was a struggle to do so, and he looked sickly. She thought he might throw up at any moment. Clearly, she'd broken his heart. He'd loved her like a daughter, and she'd ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped on it. 

Michaelangelo looked at her with pleading eyes. She thought he was going to cry. 

"_Why_?" His voice cracked with emotion. 

She hung her head and stared down at her lap, unable to look at him any longer, lest her own heart would break. 

"I...I don't know..." 

"Shadow..." April coaxed. "Please..." 

"I wanted an opportunity to be great. You've never let me prove to you that I could fight...that I could _be_ somebody..." 

"But you always _have_ been somebody to us..." Michaelangelo said sadly. 

She bit her lip, trying to hold in the tears that were threatening to escape down her cheeks. 

"It wasn't enough. Not for me. Dad, you go out almost every night, 'busting up' the criminals of New York City. You get a sense of satisfaction...of...of greater _purpose_ in your life. You make a difference, no matter how crazy it seems. _I've_ always wanted that feeling too...to know that my actions have an impact on society. I looked up to you, dad. I wanted to _be_ you, but when you caught me trying to sneak out with your mask and bag, what did you do? There wasn't any 'well done, Shadow, I'm proud of you' or even 'that's my niche, but we'll find you your own'. It was 'Shadow, don't you ever do that again...EVER!'" 

"Shadow...you know what I do is no place for a lady--" 

"Let me finish," she saw the disappointment in his face, and sighed. "Dad had his crazy form of crime fighting..." she spared a quick glance at the turtles, their faces still twisted up into expressions of pain and anguish. "You guys had ninjitsu and your code of vengeance and honor." Her voice lowered to near a whisper. "There was nothing for me." 

"But Shadow...The _Foot_?" The word was said with such hurt, she didn't dare to look Mike in the eyes. 

"I...didn't know where else to turn. You guys wouldn't teach me--not how I wanted. The skills you'd given me had made me a decent fighter, but I wanted more. I wanted to learn _everything_ there was to know. I wanted to prove to you that I'm not a little girl anymore. I can't be that little curly-haired four-year-old forever. I've grown up." 

She wiped at the tears that stained her cheeks, and sucked in a breath, attempting to calm herself enough to continue. She refused to look at any of them now, and took to studying the denim pattern of her jeans instead. 

"The Foot had been your most admirable adversaries. They fought well, almost as good as the four of you. I figured I could learn from them, to take what I needed and then leave. I never realized what I was really getting myself into. The Foot was nothing like what I'd expected. The teaching was strict, overbearing at times. But it made me want to succeed all the more. They taught us about the ways of honor. They stressed that we were a family. I started to doubt the things you had told me about the clan. They led me to believe it wasn't so bad. 

"But then...then the unthinkable happened. My master told me I must lead a group of ninja into battle against their greatest enemies. I thought this was my chance to truly prove my worth. Until...I found out those enemies were you." 

She swallowed, wiping again at her eyes. "I couldn't do it. At the last minute I choked, and you got away, never the wiser to our presence. I was punished severely, threatened with death. I knew I _had_ to follow through the next time, or they'd kill me. I was afraid, I--" 

She burst into tears. "I was a coward." 

"Child..." She felt a hand touch her shoulder, gentle, reassuring. She gazed up into the rat's forgiving eyes, and the burden on her soul intensified. How could he possibly find forgiveness in his heart after all she'd done to them? She didn't deserve it. She deserved to die. 

"I'm so sorry, grandpa Splinter." 

He wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder. What she'd done was unforgivable. It was the worst act of betrayal one could ever bestow upon another. She knew now how wrong she'd been to ever seek the council of the Foot. How she wished she could turn back time and start all over with the knowledge she now possessed. She couldn't believe that she'd actually given the order that had gotten one of her surrogate uncles killed. The scene played over and over in her mind--the Foot closing in around him, his gallant fight, a flash of steel, the bone-curdling crack, his decent to the unforgiving pavement. 

She closed her eyes and shuddered. Part of her hoped they _would_ kill her as an act of vengeance for the death of Raphael. At least she would be rid of this guilt and sorrow. But she couldn't bring herself to tell them what had happened--not yet. It was all too painful. 

Splinter stroked Shadow's hair as he held her, and glanced to the others. The look in his eyes showed his deep concern for the girl. 

"What do we do now?" Donatello asked. 

After a few silent moments, Shadow finally pulled away from Splinter and wiped her eyes. "I have to leave." 

"Shadow, we've been over this..." April began to protest. 

"I _have_ to," she insisted. "I have to go into hiding. It's the only way out." 

"And exactly where are you planning to go?" There was a challenge to Casey's words. 

"Someplace far away from here...where the Shredder can't find me." 

"Wait--did you say...the _Shredder_?" 

Shadow met his eyes for the first time. "Yes, uncle Leo. The Shredder." 

"Impossible." Donatello said matter-of-factly. "We all know the Shredder is dead. Leonardo killed him." 

"All I can tell you is that my master calls himself the Shredder. He says he's waited a very long time to seek his vengeance on you. He's very evil. If I want to live, I have to run." 

"Anyone can call himself the Shredder. I think it's pretty clear that there's no way this can be Oroku Saki." Donatello rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 

"Saki or not, this master of yours is a very dangerous man, Shadow. Clearly, he's been studying us from afar for quite some time. Hiding isn't going to help you. If the Shredder wants to find you, he will. In fact..." Leonardo paused for emphasis. "He probably has men out tracking you already." 

"Oh god..." April breathed. She hated the prospect of losing another home, but it would fail in comparison to losing Shadow. 

Shadow closed her eyes. She'd made such a mess of everything! She'd gone against the codes her grandfather and uncles had instilled in her. She'd betrayed her family. And now, she'd put all of their lives at risk. Maybe she wasn't as grown up as she'd thought. She didn't deserve the respect she'd so desired from them. 

"I am afraid that the only way out is if you are dead." Splinter said solemnly. 

She swallowed and nodded her head faintly. So they _were_ going to kill her? She told herself that it was okay. She deserved it. And perhaps she could make amends in the afterlife. It would be an honor to die avenging these turtles she had come to know and love as family. 

"I have an idea," Leo said thoughtfully. "How about if we kill her tomorrow night?" 

"_What!?_" April and Casey spoke simultaneously. 

"Relax," he told them with a small smile. "We're only going to _pretend_ to kill her...in front of a live audience." 

Donatello nodded. "I see where this is going. The Foot watch her die. They get word back to their master, and this nightmare can finally be over." 

Shadow swallowed. She was scared of what might happen if something went wrong, and even more afraid to reveal to them the fate of their brother. 

"Don't worry..." Michaelangelo took her hand, and she fought back new tears. "We'll always protect you." 

  


  


  



	3. Chapter Three

"Shadows" by Dawnatello

**Shadows** **_Part Three_**

  


  
A persistent beeping filled his head, drawing him steadily from the protective arms of slumber. For a brief moment, he longed to return to that safe place in his mind, but the internal alarm within him wouldn't allow him that comfort. His senses had already begun to alert him to his new surroundings. He must have blacked out. But who had brought him here? And more importantly, where was here? He was in a strange place. The air here was warm and soothing. He felt softness beneath him, a contrast to the rough pavement he remembered falling against sometime earlier. His body ached something fierce and the pounding in his head felt like a million jackhammers going off at once. Slowly, he opened his eyes, squinting against the dimmed light of the small room. 

_Where the hell am I?_

He laid there for a moment trying to gain his bearings. He was laying on a bed. He could tell that much. The sheets were pulled over him, up to his chin so only his head was exposed. April's house? No...this felt different. The matress was firmer, not nearly as cozy as the one in April's bedroom, and the curtains...there were none. There wasn't even a window. The very air in the room had a different smell to it. Nothing was familiar. 

Shifting his weight a little, he took in a deep breath, an attempt to assess his own condition. He was instantly sorry, as waves of pain invaded his chest, causing him to cough. He gulped in large amounts of air, struggling to fill his lungs, but that only hurt worse and caused another round of coughing. After several moments of pain and breathlessness, he finally managed to settle his lungs and laid back against the mattress wheezing. 

The ceiling was like no ceiling he could remember. His home in the sewers was made of concrete. April's apartment had that prickly acoustic that reminded him of painted gravel. What he was looking at now was made up of sectioned off squares of a substance he compared to smooth foam. There were flat sections in the ceiling where inplace of the foam-like substance, there was a thick clear plastic. Behind that plastic were cylinders of neon light. It was very impersonal, very...sterile. It was starting to make him uncomfortable. 

He could feel himself quickly becoming more aware. Through watery eyes, he studied the walls and floor, noticing how sanitary they appeared as well. Everything was so white and clean. The floor had no carpeting, but was made up of shiny, light colored tiles. There was a sink on the wall opposite where he lay, and a small metal tray next to the bed that held several shiny metal tools. He eyed them warily. He didn't like the looks of them one bit. 

His internal alarm grew louder as he surveyed the wall nearest him. It seemed the beeping was coming from a small monitor by his head. He craned his neck, watching the ray of green light move across the screen, seeming to jump up at certain intervals, forming a peak before descending again. He noticed the tubes that trailed from the machine, how they disappeared beneath the edge of the sheet. 

The monitor's beeping grew quicker as he threw back the covers. He stared at himself and his eyes grew wide. There were tubes stuck in him everywhere! His wrists and arms looked like pincushions. Small round suction cups had been taped down to his plastron. It seemed that those were providing the machine with its readings. 

His internal alarm was screaming. 

A wave of panic washed over him. He sat bolt upright, ignoring the fierce pain that traveled through his chest, the sting at his shoulder. Carelessly and ferociously, he began to rip the needles and tubes from his arms, breathing heavily against his fear and the pain in his aching body. The heart monitor was beeping like crazy with the pounding of his heart. 

_Shit...I'm captured...got to be a way out..._

His mind was a jumble of confused thoughts and feelings. All he could assess was that the Foot had managed to take him captive and had turned him in to a laboratory for experimentation. The very thought of it caused an instant panic attack, and once again, he found himself breathless, his chest on fire with waves of agony. 

Too bad for her, she chose that moment to enter. Raphael's face twisted up into an evil grimmace, showing off the two rows of very large teeth. He growled at her savagely, finally managing to pull loose the sensors for the heart monitor. As he ripped them away from his plastron, the annoying beeping became a deafening drawn-out screech. 

The girl yelped and took a couple of steps back. She hadn't expected it to be awake--not yet at least. It looked evil, deadly. She was starting to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to leave it in the parking lot to die. 

For some reason he couldn't explain, this girl looked strangely familiar to him--about as familiar as a memorable face he had once passed on the street. He squinted at her, trying to place the brown eyes, the delicate nose. 

She stifled a scream and backed up several paces, placing her hand on the doorknob incase she needed a quick escape. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She had never been so scared, except for maybe during the fight with those ninjas several hours earlier. She didn't dare take her eyes off the creature, lest he spring at her without warning. 

"Please..." Her voice shook as she mouthed the words. "Don't. Those tubes are in your arms to help you. They won't hurt you, I promise." 

The creature's eyes held the same intensity, but she thought she noticed its shoulders relax just a little. It was eyeing her warily. She could see the distrust and anger etched into every feature. 

"You're..." she swallowed, gazing into its eyes. She was doing her best to keep her voice steady so as to soothe the creature. "You're safe here...I'm here to help you." 

The creature continued to eye her cautiously, but it didn't say a word. She wondered if it could even understand her. Clearly this was a being unlike any she'd ever seen before. With the large shell on its back, it almost resembled a...turtle. But it couldn't be. Not only was this creature large, but it was bipedal, and although it didn't talk, the way it carried itself, the way it fought last night, the facial expressions--everything lead her to believe it was more human than anything else. Besides...when had a turtle of _any_ species had teeth? 

"You're in a very small medical facility. I brought you here myself. This is where I work. I'm a nurse, and I'm the only one on duty at this early hour. No one else knows you're here." 

Some of the tension in its face seemed to ease at this news, so she knew she was on the right track. 

"You don't have to worry. I'm not going to let anyone else know you're here. I'll be the one taking care of you. Now if you'll please let me..." She took a tentative step toward him, those intense eyes never leaving hers. "I need to get this syrum back into your arm. It's going to help you get better." 

She hadn't been sure at first that this was the right kind of treatment for a creature such as this. She had no real clue about its physiology. But, since it appeared relatively homo sapien-like in most of its movements and gestures, she figured it was worth a shot. Besides, her time had been limited. If not for all of her quick thinking under pressure, the creature probably wouldn't have made it. 

She'd taken a blood sample and a couple of ex-rays, neither of which she understood much. His blood was swimming with things she'd never seen before, and his skeleton was one of which the likes she'd never known. 

She moved toward him very slowly and very cautiously. She knew she would have to gain his trust if she ever hoped to help him further. 

"The syrum in the IV is like food..." she struggled to put it all into layman's terms. "It's helping you to gain your strength back, and replenishing some much needed fluids that your body lost." 

She slowly outstreched her hand in an attempt to show him she was friendly. He eyed it warily, the look in his eyes letting her know that one false move would be costly. 

"I'm Noel," she said softly. "What's your name?" 

But the creature refused to speak. Or perhaps it wasn't capable. 

"You suffered some pretty severe wounds, but luckily, I managed to admit you before you lost too much blood. Your body is very weak. It needs time to heal. You have a couple of broken ribs, a badly lacerated arm, and a slight concussion. I'd hoped to attempt a blood transfusion, but there simply isn't any blood I could use that would be compatible." 

Her mind again raced with images of the odd blood she'd studied under the microscope. 

He watched her warily as she inserted the needle into his arm to get the IV going again. He hated needles, and he hated being cooped up here, and he still wasn't positive that she was telling the truth. Still, he knew that he'd been beaten pretty badly, and what she'd done for him so far seemed to help. She seemed to know what she was talking about. He really had no option but to go with this for the time being. 

"You'll be okay, but you need a lot of rest." 

He knew she was right about that. He felt so weak and so drained. His body was struggling against consciousness, and it was starting to win. He allowed himself to calm down somewhat, and laid back on the mattress. His eyelids were heavy. He felt his mind pulling him back to the safety of slumber. Still, he refused to fall asleep until she left. 

******

"I don't like this Leo...what if she gets caught?" The night air was so cold, Mike could see his breath on the wind as he spoke. He pulled the collar of his jacket up higher, attempting to shield his neck from the bitter winds. 

"That's what we're hoping for." 

"I know, but...I mean...what if she's _hurt_ before we can help her?" 

Leonardo pondered that idea for a moment. Of course they wouldn't purposely let anything happen to her. No matter what she'd done to them, he knew it wasn't the real her. He knew that deep down she was remorseful for her actions. Although her betrayal hurt deeply, a much stronger emotion overpowered it--love. His love for her still burned strong. 

_We all make mistakes..._

How often had he had to remind himself of that? He liked to think he was invincible to failure, that he could overcome any obstacle. But it simply wasn't true. 

_Don't let me fail her,_ he silently prayed. _Don't let me become distracted from my purpose._

He certainly hadn't been immune to distraction last night. It had been the quick thinking of his brothers that had saved him. 

_Sometimes I come down too hard on them..._

He glanced at Michaelangelo. He was taking this very hard. Not only had her announcement broken his heart in two, but now he was left to worry for her well-being as well. Leo knew there was nothing in this world that Mike wouldn't do for her, including sacrificing his own life to save hers. Like him, it was Mike's self doubt that was eating at him now. He'd made a promise to her. He'd told her he'd protect her. But what if he failed? 

Leonardo secretly shared that self doubt. There was so much at risk. Timing was crucial. As the unofficial leader of his clan, he'd always taken the responsibility of the others' safety on his own shoulders. That's why Raphael's disappearance ate at him so. It was _his_ fault, _his_ costly mistake that had put his brother in danger. He couldn't get Raphael out of his mind. What had happened to him? Was he dead? 

He shook those thoughts from his mind and tried to focus his attention on the moment. Shadow needed him now. The turtles' actions were very crucial to her safety. He could not fail her. He _wouldn't_. 

As they ran along the rooftops, he spared a glance at Donatello. Don had remained silent for most of the evening, closed up within his own mind. He could only wonder what he was thinking. Sometimes he shut out the world around him. He needed that time to himself, to be able to contemplate things and figure them out for himself. 

There wasn't much to understand with this operation, however. They were to track Shadow all the way to the Foot compound. Once there, they would allow the Foot to confront her for her disappearance. If anything went awry, the turtles would rush down there and join in on the fray. Of course, they'd be staging a fight against Shadow in order to confuse the Foot clan into thinking she was still on their side. 

Leonardo let out a breath and pulled the binoculars from his belt. He silently begged the darkness to protect her as he zoomed in on her location. She was hurrying through the alley below, attempting to look as calm as possible. As he studied her, he realized for the first time how grown up she was. Shadow wasn't the baby they'd once cradled in their arms. She was seventeen years old now--a young woman. Leo hated the danger they were putting her in tonight, but she was determined to be an adult. And as an adult, she would have to answer to her own mistakes. He and his brothers had to learn to let go a little, to let her make her own decisions and learn to take care of herself. 

As he scanned the area, his pulse quickened a bit. He could see something moving in the shadows about three yards behind. He couldn't make out who or what it was, but the shadows were moving. 

_The Foot..._

They'd shown up early. 

_Change of plans..._ he thought. 

It seemed raiding the Foot hideout would have to wait for another night. 

He turned toward his brothers, motioning with his hands. It was a secret code that only they understood. Mike and Don nodded and hurried to take their places at the roof's edge, watching in nervous anticipation as the nearly-invisible ninjas crept in closer. 

  


  
She could feel them following her. Her training had made her sensitive to that. 

_Gotta keep a clear head..._ she reminded herself. 

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She knew the turtles were up there, watching. They were there to keep her safe. Still, she couldn't help but worry. These guys were after her for a reason. And she knew what they were capable of. She'd trained with a lot of them. 

She kept walking, mentally preparing herself for the attack. Her master had taught her to always keep her guard up, to be ready for anything at any time. In that, he had taught her well. She knew their strategies. It gave her an advantage. They would surround her. A group of five or six would branch off toward each side, but the majority would stay behind. It was a plan that would hide the true number of foes and allow them to attack little by little, wearing her down. And if she tried to make a run for it, the ranks on the sides would intervene. 

She'd briefly explained this strategy to her friends. That was how they'd managed to overtake the turtles the other night. It was a simple move really, but effective. And taking position on all sides had enabled them to separate the turtles from one another, increasing the Foot's chance of taking them down. Tonight would be different though. It had been the turtles who had done the luring this time. _They_ had the upper hand. She just hoped they moved as fast as April and Casey claimed. 

She could feel them, tiny movements of several bodies, surrounding her in the darkness. They made no sound, but she knew they were there. She walked slowly as she sensed a rank of six or seven close in on her right. Seconds later, she began to sense more shadows on her left. These she might be able to take out relatively easily. It was the group she knew was waiting at her back that she dreaded. 

Quickly she turned, pulling a pair of sai from their concealment beneath her jacket. She raised them high, attempting to show her attackers she meant business. How ironic that some of the very ninjas she'd led were now turned against her. She couldn't see their faces behind the masks, but she knew they were there. 

One of the Foot stepped forward, challenging her. "Our master wants a word with you." 

"Yeah...well...he should have come himself then." 

There was a flash of steel as the man drew his katana. There was no time to think. Instinctively, she broke into battle mode, stabing and spinning the sai. There was a lound clank as the long middle prong met the steel blade of the sword. Before the ninja knew what was happening, she'd wrenched the weapon from his hand. He was far from helpless, however. This was one of Shredder's best warriors. She knew so from the special Foot logo that was stitched into his attire. He carried himself with confidence and pride. She was sure that should this man walk away alive tonight, he would soon find himself one of his master's elite--an honor in the clan above all else. 

She rushed toward him, gripping her weapons tightly. With a flick of the wrist, the prongs whipped toward his face, but he ducked, escaping serious wounds by mere inches. He spun around in a sweep kick, knocking her to the pavement. He rose to his feet, attempting a brutal punch, but she rolled away, just out of reach. Springing to her feet again, she connected with a hook kick, right to the ribs. He doubled over in pain and staggered back a bit. 

She waited breathlessly for him to attack again, knowing that he could finish her off in an instant if he so desired, but instead, he just glared at her. 

"You have been...uncooperative..." he breathed. "You...will pay...for that..." 

She remained on guard, her eyes anxiously scanning the crowd around her. She could barely make out their sillhouettes against the blackened sky. 

"Attack!" The ninja commanded, and suddenly, a swarm of ninjas had her surrounded. A fist came toward her head from her right. She spun around, raising her arm in an overhead block, then countered with a strike of her own. The ninja wavered, but did not fall. He kicked, connecting with her stomach and knocking the wind out of her. She doubled over, gasping. Another kick to her back from the opposite side, and she let loose of one of her weapons. Her chest tightened as she heard it clank to the ground. 

She was less confident now as another group of ninjas swarmed in around her, allowing the others to rest. One of them had a bisento, another a three sectional staff. She stooped down quickly to snatch up the sai she'd dropped, but the elite ninja she'd first encountered beat her to it. She watched in anger and fear as he slid it into his belt for safekeeping. 

_Where are they?_, she thought desperately. _Where are Mike, Don and Leo?_

  


  
He could sense the tension from his brothers as they watched the scene below. Shadow was surrounded. She'd managed to hold her attackers at bay, but they were closing in. Both of her weapons had been lost, and she was now forced to fend off their attacks bare-handed. 

He was amazed at the level of her skill. She clearly was no tenth level master by any means, but she was quick and precise. Her lean frame and fast hands were a definite asset against her slower moving counterparts. She had much yet to learn about patience and disipline, and some of her moves could stand improvement, but she was able to hold her own pretty well. She both surprised and impressed him. 

He glanced at Don and Mike. Their eyes were pinned on her, their faces full of a mixture of awe and horror. Indeed it was disturbing to think that they had raised her to follow in their own footsteps of blood and vengeance. They had tried to sheild her from that life, to teach her defense only, and what it meant to be a martial artist. But their sheltering efforts had been for naught. Clearly, Shadow _wanted_ that life. She'd sought it out on her own. And now, they had lived to regret that denial they'd bestowed upon her. It had caused her to seek guidance elsewhere--in the hands of their enemies. 

As Leonardo watched the scene unfold, he began to feel detached. It was as if he was a thousand miles away, peering at the battle through a powerful telescope. It was a familiar feeling--one that told him he had transitioned into "strategical tactics" mode. It was no longer about the girl he cared about down below, but the best way to approach--how he might ensure their victory. 

Mike watched as Shadow blocked a powerful strike, returning one of her own to the man's groin before delivering a shudo strike to his neck, pulling him around her body and to the ground. Once she had the upper hand, she delivered three powerful strikes to his chest, attempting to stop his heart. The man lay there silently, and quickly she turned to face another horde of ninja. 

_**I** taught her that move!_, he thought in awe. 

The situation was growing desperate. Leo knew they'd have to make their move soon if they hoped to deliver Shadow from the fight relatively unscathed. He also knew that timing was critical. 

_Just a little longer..._

  


  
She felt something powerful strike her in the back of the head, and suddenly, she was seeing stars. Her mind swam dreamily, and she shook herself, trying to snap out of it. The pain flared through her head, making concentration difficult. She knew she had to focus. These ninjas were playing for keeps. 

  


  
"Now!" Leonardo called out into the night, not pausing to make sure the others heard him. He knew they would follow his lead without question. The cold air rushed past him, chilling his skin as he jumped down from the roof. He landed on the fire escape with a soft thud, catching the attention of the group of Foot nearest him. It was just enough to draw sufficient enough attention from Shadow for a few crucial moments. It was what he'd planned. 

Seconds later, he felt Michaelangelo and Donatello land beside him. They exchanged quick, knowing glances, then darted down to the street below. The battle ensued immediately. 

Leonardo wasted no time. Within seconds, his sword was drawn and he snapped into attack mode. Ninja surrounded him and began to attack, one or two at once while the others stood at bay. Leo spun around, his good arm extended. Even with one limb incapacitated, his skill was not maimed. The blade caught the first man in the neck, and as his body continued it's circular motion, made contact with the other's chest. As they fell, more swarmed in to take their place. 

Donatello and Michaelangelo stood back to back, fending off Foot members from all sides. Don faced off with another bo weilder, while Michaelangelo was left to fend off three ninjas with blades. He spun his nunchuks, hitting one man in the hand. The bones shattered and he dropped the blade. As he bent over, gripping his fingers in pain, Mike kicked him in the head, and he landed soundlessly to the pavement. 

Shadow was very quickly beginning to tire. Her head was pounding furiously, her eyes struggling to close. Everywhere she looked, things were moving in and out of focus like a pair of bad glasses. She closed her eyes for a moment, attemtping to use her instincts instead, to locate her opponents. 

"These guys are pretty good..." Mike breathed. 

The Foot had backed off a little, seeming to regroup and rethink their strategy. It was a welcome rest period for the turtles, but they remained sharp and on guard, knowing full well that the Foot were very cunning and would stop at nothing to see them dead. 

"Yeah..." Donatello agreed breathlessly. "So...what do we do now...?" 

Leonardo stood, his deamenor full of purpose and conviction. He pointed his sword toward Shadow. "We attack!" 

  


  
Suddenly, and without warning, the turtles were rushing toward her. Their weapons were drawn, and their purpose clear. 

_Oh god..._, she thought nervously. _Here it comes..._

The Foot were too amazed at first to react. They watched with interest as one of the turtles--the one with the bo staff, began to attack her. 

Shadow scooped up her lone sai and lifted it, blocking a spinning attack, and counteracting with a punch. Although her strike was hardly felt beneath the thick layer of plastron, Donatello bent over, pretending to be in pain. The Foot whispered and murmured amongst themselves, obviously intrigued that the creatures would attack one of their own allies. 

"Maybe they don't realize who she is..." one of them suggested. 

"Or perhaps they know she turned against them." 

_Good..._ Leo thought. _The plan is working._

They'd staged this battle the night before, and stayed up until the early hours of the morning perfecting it. It was important that their kicks and strikes appear real and powerful. It was equally important that they not really inflict damage upon one another, especially for Shadow's sake. Everything must look convincing. The Foot had to believe that the turtles wanted her dead. 

Unsure as to which side they prefered to make it out alive, most of the Foot remained in place, watching with morbid fascination. Some of them began to make bets on which side would come out on top. Even for all of her training, she was only one against four, and most of the bets were in favor of the turtles. 

"We should be fighting them..." one of the ninja protested. 

The Elite soldier in charge of this mission just smiled as he fingered the sai in his belt. "We let them tear her apart while we rest. Then, once they have finished her--when they are worn out and possibly injured...we make our move." 

Leonardo was upon her now, and the way he swung his blade, even though she ducked, it came within mere inches from her head. She swallowed, realizing the impact one simple mistake on her part could make. The Foot were watching, and they were closing in. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her courage, and then, let out a savage yell as she charged Leonardo with her sai. 

Leonardo side stepped just on time, blocking the long center prong of her weapon with the blade of his katana. The clang of metal meeting metal was almost defeaning as it echoed across the nearly silent street. He could feel their eyes on him, watching, as if trying to assess the actual circumstances of this fight. If they had any inclination that this was staged... 

He caught Donatello's attention, motioned with his eyes. It was all his brother needed. It seemed there would be a slight change in plans. 

Leo and Don rushed toward the crowd of spectating Foot members. Caught off guard, several were taken down before they began to counteract the turtles' attacks. The Foot Elite shouted several commands in Japanese and then returned his attention to Shadow, who was now facing off with Michaelangelo. 

Mike was very brave, perhaps the bravest of the four when it really came down to it. Still, standing here, facing the girl he'd helped raise like a daughter, he felt nervous and scared. He swallowed, not knowing what he'd do if he ever hurt her. He loved Shadow more than life. What if one of them slipped up? 

She was beckoning him with her eyes. He knew that despite Leonardo's diversion, they were still being watched. He also knew the importance of making this look good. Quickly, he stepped in with a roundhouse punch, which she blocked effortlessly. She counteracted with a kick to the plastron, which he also blocked. Leo had been right--the Foot knew the extent of the Turtles' skill and power. They would know that Shadow wouldn't be able to take them down easily. 

Carefully, yet as convincingly as possible, he swung a chuck in her direction. She blocked with the sai, wrenching it from his hand. He stared at his empty fingers, stunned for a moment (he opened his eyes really wide for emphasis), then delivered a powerful sidekick right into her stomach. Shadow doubled over, dropping the sai. 

Quickly, Michaelangelo snatched up the weapon and stuck it in his belt. 

_That's twice that's happened tonight..._, she thought. 

But she didn't have time to dwell on her weapons. Her fight with Michaelangelo was far from over. 

Donatello and Leonardo were doing their best to keep the Foot at bay. They'd done a nice job of diminishing the threat, having taken down about a third of the group already. Still, they couldn't be everywhere at once, and having been forced back into the battle, some of them had begun to branch off, preparing to attack the two unsuspecting duelers in the center. 

Mike delivered a spinning hook kick and Shadow staggered. As she regained her balance to deliver her next strike, she spotted it--a lurking shadow moving quickly toward Michaelangelo, sneaking up from behind. There was a flash as a streetlight reflected off a blade. She wanted to warn him, but there was no time. Instead, she rushed at him full force with a roundhouse kick to the head. Taken off guard, he ducked, crouching low to the ground. 

_What the heck...? That wasn't part of the plan..._

He spun around, eyes wide. That's when he saw it--the thing he dreaded more than anything else. A Foot member was standing there, brandishing a knife. As Shadow spun back around to face him, the blade sunk in and she fell to the ground. 

"Oh god...Shadow..._nooooo!!!_" 

He hurried toward her and knelt down, lifting her head, no longer caring what the Foot thought or who was sneaking up at his back. All that mattered was her. 

Leo and Don, having witnessed her fall, broke out into savage mode, slicing and hitting all who dared to come near. Already, their emotions were starting to get the best of them, but it was imperative that they remain steady and defeat their enemies quickly if they were to save her. 

"Shadow...god...Shadow, can you hear me?" 

Blood trickled from her side where the blade had embedded itself within her flesh. He laid his hand over the wound, the hot sting of tears already flooding his cheeks. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. They were only going to pretend she'd been injured. She was supposed to fall at his hand, and the turtles would be triumphant. But something had gone horribly wrong. She'd offered herself in his place. She'd gotten him out of the way so she would be injured instead. 

The leader of the group watched angrily as more and more of his soldiers fell at the turtles' hands. Although the one who'd been battling their wayward ninja had let his guard down, the two who remained standing were intent on their mission, taking out anyone that dared to even come _close_ to their comrades. 

"It's done." He finally shouted at the others. "Our mission has been fulfilled. Come, let's inform Master Shredder..." 

Mike watched them scatter, fading into the blackness that surrounded him. He hated them. He hated them _all_. He wanted to run after them, to tell them what cowards they were, to do to Shadow's attacker what he'd done to her. But he stayed on his knees on the pavement, gripping the girl in his arms while her lifesblood dripped all over the asphault. 

His brothers were suddenly beside him, their faces matching his agony and despair. Leo tried to take her from him, but he refused to let go. Donatello laid his head on her chest, assuring them she was still alive, just in shock. 

"I'm sorry, Shadow..." Leo whispered as they carried her carefully away from the scene. "I'm sorry for not teaching you when you wanted so desperately to learn...for not realizing what a strong woman you'd become...I'm so, so sorry..." 

  


  


**More Shadows Coming Soon!**

  



End file.
